


Stride with Me

by valxenia (orphan_account)



Category: Prince of Stride: Alternative (Anime)
Genre: Light Angst, M/M, behold my first fic ever, followed by some fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-26
Updated: 2016-01-26
Packaged: 2018-05-16 11:59:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5827741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/valxenia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a match loss devastates Takeru to the point of running away, Riku goes after him in hopes of comforting his friend. In the process, he realizes something, something about his relationship with Takeru.</p><p>And Takeru comes to discover that although there are losses in life, there are things that will remain, and those are the things we must cherish the most.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stride with Me

**Author's Note:**

> Sup, I'm Val, and this is the first fic I've ever written. Ever. I have plenty of experience with writing original content, but writing for a fandom is something definitely new to me. I...actually kind of like it, ha.
> 
> Anyway, Prince of Stride needs a lot more love, so here's my contribution to the parkour boys. I did my very best to make sure they weren't OOC, but please, feel free to give me any feedback! I'd greatly appreciate it.
> 
> ...Man, these notes sound formal as heck, but I can guarantee you that I am but a simple nerd.
> 
> (Next fic might be smut. Who knows?)

After what felt like hours of running and calling out his name, Riku finally found him - him, of course, being Takeru. He was slouched forward on the park bench, his chest heaving up and down slowly and his head lowered as he stared down at his hands. Riku could barely see tiny droplets - of tears or sweat, he wasn’t sure - fall onto his palms and slide down his fingers.

“...Fujiwara…?” Riku tentatively called out. He watched him tense up and took a step forward, unsure of what to do. Never before had he seen his closest friend, his partner in stride, run off with such a pained expression before. Takeru was usually always so stoic, careful to keep his feelings and emotions under wraps so no one would notice. He only ever smiled when they ran together, an expression that Riku had every desire of seeing since the first time.

But now it was different. Whatever look he had on his face, Riku didn’t want to see it. He didn’t want to see Takeru in pain, or worse yet, crying, because Riku knew it would hurt him in ways he couldn’t imagine.

He would do anything, anything at all, to see Takeru smile again.

“Fujiwara, hey,” he called out again, stepping closer. “Are you… Are you okay?” He had to approach him gently, that he knew. Takeru was sometimes like a stray dog, wary of everything and scared of getting hurt.

No reply at first, until Takeru let out a sigh. “...I’m fine,” he said, but to Riku, he didn’t sound fine. There was a slight crack to his voice that made Riku’s heart ache, that made him want to reach out and comfort him for Christ’s sake. “Go back to the team. I just need to be alone for a moment.”

Riku soundlessly walked up to the bench and plopped down beside Takeru, clearly not planning on going back any time soon. “...I said go back,” Takeru repeated.

“Yeah, about that, I said I’d come back with you, so…” He nervously fidgeted with his fingers. “Besides, I know you’re not really fine. I mean… We -”

“Lost, I know. We lost.”

Riku swallowed. “Yeah…” He stared longingly at Takeru, hoping that he would finally raise his head to look at him. But he didn’t. Instead, he kept his gaze to the ground, perhaps too ashamed of himself to meet his friend in the eye. “...You were amazing out there, though. If anyone’s the real winner, it’s you.”

Takeru laughed dryly. “You’re just saying that.”

“No, I mean it.”

“I tripped and fell. I lost us the game.”

“It was a beautiful fall, though.”

Finally, Takeru willed himself to look up at Riku, revealing the droplets of sweat - thank goodness not tears - that rolled down his face. “What?” he said, mildly confused. “Did you just say it was...beautiful?” He couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of his friend’s mouth. Sure, Riku sometimes didn’t think before he spoke, but this… This was a new level.

“Yeah,” Riku answered with a shrug. “You just have so much passion for stride that even when you trip you make it look cool.” Truth be told, even Riku himself didn’t understand what he was saying, but if nonsense is what made Takeru look at him, then more nonsense he would spout.

Takeru blinked. “I don’t know if I should be flattered or not.”

“Flattered. Definitely flattered,” Riku suggested with a small grin. “I mean, if I tripped, I’m sure I’d look super clumsy and stuff. Everyone would laugh.”

“I wouldn’t laugh,” Takeru replied seriously.

Riku laughed lightly. “Oh, you know you would. Just a little bit.”

But Takeru’s hard, serious gaze did not falter. “No, I wouldn’t… I’d help you up, like I did after our first race together.”

Riku couldn’t stop the small blush appearing on his cheeks. Every time he thought about that particular memory, his heart skipped a beat. That had been the moment he realized just how cool and amazing Takeru was, and how beautiful that smile of his was. That had been the moment when he began nurturing a deep admiration for him, one that later evolved into a fondness that he still couldn’t understand.

But what he did understand now, was how important Takeru was to him.

“...Oh. Well. Thanks,” Riku said, at a slight loss for words.

“Yeah…” Takeru leaned back against the bench, staring up at the blue sky and the fluffy white clouds that littered it. He closed his eyes and breathed, oblivious to the longing way Riku gazed at him, but nonetheless enjoying his company. The sound of his soft breathing, even the scent of his sweat… It was all strangely comforting to him.

When he had told Riku to go back, he had secretly hoped that he would stay anyway, but that was the last thing he would ever admit. It wasn’t that he was too prideful or anything like that, however. He just wasn’t fond of himself all too much when his body was racing wildly with all sorts of emotions. He was rarely like this, after all.

But Riku… Well, simply put, he felt comfortable around Riku. He knew he could trust him, he knew that he would always be there for him. Riku was like his pillar of support, always brimming with energy and smiles and a laughter that Takeru would never grow tired of.

Before, it had only been a great respect that Takeru held toward Riku and his speed, but now it ran much deeper than that. And that was something Takeru realized not too long ago. Now his motivation was not only competing in matches, but also racing alongside Riku. Now his love was not just stride, but Riku as well.

“...Yagami,” Takeru said after a moment of peaceful silence.

Riku’s eyes lit up. “Yeah?”

“Race with me.”

“Huh?”

“I said race with me.” Before Riku could say anything else, Takeru suddenly grabbed his arm and leapt from the bench, breaking into a full sprint that had Riku stumbling and struggling to keep up with.

“H-hey…! Fujiwara…!” Riku cried out.

“Let’s see who is really the fastest of us!” With that, Takeru let go of his arm and bolted ahead, leaving Riku absolutely dumbfounded. But just as quickly as his confusion came, it left. A goofy grin spread across Riku’s face as he sprinted after Takeru, his eyes twinkling and his body coming to life with the adrenaline.

With the wind streaming through his hair and his surroundings a mere colorful blur, Riku took little time to catch up with Takeru. They briefly met each other’s eyes and smiled, realizing just how far they had come together since day one. Their loss was not the end of the world, the end of them. They had won several matches before, and who was to say that they wouldn’t again?

They ran sharp turns, leapt over benches, and passed one another repeatedly until Takeru suddenly advanced with greater speed than before. He practically tore across the path, but he did it with such grace that Riku found himself momentarily mystified. The way the wind swept through Takeru’s black hair, the beads of sweat that slowly rolled down his face, and the sheer determination in his steel eyes were absolutely captivating. This was Takeru. This was the boy that Riku could never imagine himself without.

With a longing gaze, he watched Takeru run farther and farther away, invoking a fear that he was no stranger to. That fear was that Takeru would leave him some day. Their high school lives would only last so long, and after that, the world of adulthood would no doubt keep them apart. Riku didn’t want that. He most definitely didn’t want that.

He wanted Takeru to stay with him, but that wasn’t something he could just confess so freely. Besides, he wasn’t even sure why he felt that way, and the one possibility that chimed into his head - the one that made his cheeks red and his heart pound - was the one that he shoved away on the account that, no, they were just friends.

Still, he very much wanted Takeru to be at his side.

And so, with all of his will and strength, Riku propelled himself faster and faster. He would never ever let himself lose sight of Takeru. Never. Even if the world did separate them at some point, Riku would run and run and never stop until their hands met.

Takeru came to a stop upon reaching the hill they always ended their races at. He threw his head back and breathed, inhaling the scent of grass and feeling the crisp wind blow against his heated skin. Countless memories of him and Riku came flooding back; the times they outdid each other, the times they supported each other, the times they ended their races, exhausted and drained, but nonetheless so full of life and joy that they ended up going back to the club with never ending smiles. 

It were moments like those that Takeru had learned to cherish. It were moments like those that brought him peace and happiness, even when he felt like the greatest failure in the world, because at least… At least he still had everything that mattered. Yeah. He still had that. 

Riku threw himself into the grass with a groan. “Hah… Looks like you beat me,” he said, panting heavily. When he received no reply, he frowned and slowly rose to his feet. “Fujiwara?”

Suddenly, Takeru began to tremble. His breathing came out ragged as he ran his fingers through his hair and repressed a whimper that died at the back of his throat. Immediately, Riku ran to him, a thousand worried questions on his tongue as he realized that Takeru’s walls were finally caving in. His heart began to ache and he felt the overwhelming need to just care for him.

“Hey, are you okay?!” Riku asked in a panicked tone. He gripped the front of Takeru’s jacket, tempted to embrace him but unsure of how he would react. “Do you want some ice cream or something?! I’ll buy you anything you want, just…! Just... Please, don’t cry. Please.” He gently swiped a few tears from Takeru’s cheek and felt his own eyes begin to water. “P-please, don’t be sad…” It hurt. It hurt seeing Takeru like this, just as he knew it would.

“I’m not s-sad,” Takeru stuttered out, much to Riku’s surprise.

“Then w-why are you crying?”

“B-because I’m happy.”

“Huh?”

“I’m happy b-because I can… I can still run with you,” Takeru admitted as he smiled through his tears. “I’m happy because we still have the t-team and… And… I’m happy that we’ll… We’ll always have stride and… I’m just happy.” He suddenly embraced Riku and held him close, savoring his warmth and presence more than anything else. Nothing else mattered to him in that moment. Just having Riku there, just knowing that the team would be waiting for him… Everything would be alright.

Riku couldn’t help but give a weak, choked laugh, his worries thrown to the wind as he looked up to meet Takeru’s gaze. “I’m h-happy that… That y-you’re happy,” he said.

Those words were enough to make Takeru do what he had always wanted. Slowly and gently, he caressed the side of Riku’s face and leaned down, pressing their lips together in a kiss that had Riku freezing in place out of shock. But once he realized just what that kiss meant, he relaxed and wrapped his arms around Takeru’s neck, his skin tingling with warmth and his heart beating with pure, utter love. He couldn’t help but smile through the kiss, his entire body full of giddiness and excitement that Takeru felt those warm feelings that he did.

When they finally parted, Takeru pressed their foreheads together and smiled. “Stride with me, Riku. Stride with me now and forever.”

Riku grinned. “Yeah… I’ll stride with you, Takeru. Always.”


End file.
